Henry II - First Platagenet King of England Henry II - First Platagenet King of England King Henry II shield Henry II was born in 1133. Henry II's father was Geoffrey of Anjou and his mother was Empress Maud . His maternal grandparents were King Henry I of England and Edith - Matilda . He was an only child. He died at the age of 56 in 1189. General Notes Henry II (March 5, 1133 - July 6, 1189), ruled as Duke of Anjou and as King of England (1154 - 1189) and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland, eastern Ireland, and western France. His sobriquets include "Curt Mantle" (because of the practical short cloaks he wore), "Fitz Empress," and sometimes "The Lion of Justice," which had also applied to his grandfather Henry I. He ranks as the first of the Plantagenet or Angevin Kings. Following the disputed reign of King Stephen, Henry's reign saw efficient consolidation. Henry II has acquired a reputation as one of England's greatest medieval kings.

Biography He was born on March 5, 1133 at Le Mans, to the Empress Maud and her second husband, Geoffrey the Fair, Count of Anjou. Brought up in Anjou, he visited England in 1149 to help his mother in her disputed claim to the English throne. Prior to coming to the throne he already controlled Normandy and Anjou on the continent; his marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine in 1152 added her land holdings to his, including vast areas such as Touraine, Aquitaine, and Gascony. He thus effectively became more powerful than the king of France - with an empire (the Angevin Empire) that stretched from the Solway Firth almost to the Mediterranean and from the Somme to the Pyrenees. As king, he would make Ireland a part of his vast domain. He also maintained lively communication with the Emperor of Byzantium Manuel I Comnenus. In August 1152, Henry, previously occupied in fighting Eleanor's ex-husband Louis VII of France and his allies, rushed back to her, and they spent several months together.

Around the end of November 1152 they parted: Henry went to spend some weeks with his mother and then sailed for England, arriving on 6 January 1153. Some historians believe that the couple's first child, William, Count of Poitiers, was born in 1153. During Stephen's reign the barons had subverted the state of affairs to undermine the monarch's grip on the realm; Henry II saw it as his first task to reverse this shift in power. For example, Henry had castles which the barons had built without authorisation during Stephen's reign torn down, and scutage, a fee paid by vassals in lieu of military service, became by 1159 a central feature of the king's military system. Record-keeping improved dramatically in order to streamline this taxation. Henry II established courts in various parts of England, and first instituted the royal practice of granting magistrates the power to render legal decisions on a wide range of civil matters in the name of the Crown. His reign saw the production of the first written legal textbook, providing the basis of today's "Common Law".

By the Assize of Clarendon (1166), trial by jury became the norm. Since the Norman Conquest, jury trials had been largely replaced by trial by ordeal and "wager of battel" (which English law did not abolish until 1819). Provision of justice and landed security was futher toughened in 1176 with the Assize of Northampton, a build on the earlier agreements at Clarendon. This reform proved one of Henry's major contributions to the social history of England. As a consequence of the improvements in the legal system, the power of church courts waned. The church, not unnaturally, opposed this, and found its most vehement spokesman in Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, formerly a close friend of Henry's, and his Chancellor. Henry had appointed Becket to the archbishopric precisely because he wanted to avoid conflict. The conflict with Becket effectively began with a dispute over whether the secular courts could try clergy who had committed a secular offence. Henry attempted to subdue Becket and his fellow churchmen by making them swear to obey the "customs of the realm", but controversy ensued over what constituted these customs, and the church proved reluctant to submit.

Following a heated exchange at Henry's court, Becket left England in 1164 for France to solicit in person the support of Pope Alexander III, who was in exile in France due to dissention in the college of Cardinals, and of King Louis VII of France. Due to his own precarious position, Alexander remained neutral in the debate, although Becket remained in exile loosely under the protection of Louis and Pope Alexander until 1170. After a reconciliation between Henry and Thomas in Normandy in 1170, Becket returned to England. Becket again confronted Henry, this time over the coronation of Prince Henry (see below). The much-quoted, although probably apochryphal, words of Henry II echo down the centuries: "Who will rid me of this turbulent priest?" Although Henry's violent rants against Becket over the years were well documented, this time four of his knights took their king literally (as he may have intended for them to do, although he later denied it) and travelled immediately to England, where they assassinated Becket in Canterbury Cathedral on December 29, 1170.

As part of his penance for the death of Becket, Henry agreed to send money to the Crusader states in Palestine, which the Knights Hospitaller and the Knights Templar would guard until such time as Henry arrived to make use of it on pilgrimage or crusade. Henry delayed his crusade for many years, and in the end never went at all, despite a visit to him by Patriarch Heraclius of Jerusalem in 1184 and being offered the crown of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. In 1188 he levied the Saladin tithe to pay for a new crusade; the chronicler Giraldus Cambrensis suggested his death was a divine punishment for the tithe, imposed to raise money for an abortive crusade to recapture Jerusalem, which had fallen to Saladin in 1187.) Henry's first son, William, Count of Poitiers, had died in infancy. In 1170, Henry and Eleanor's fifteen-year-old son, Henry, was crowned king, but he never actually ruled and does not figure in the list of the monarchs of England; he became known as Henry the Young King to distinguish him from his nephew Henry III of England.

Henry and his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, had five sons and three daughters: William, Henry, Richard, Geoffrey, John, Matilda, Eleanor, and Joan. Henry's attempts to wrest control of her lands from Eleanor (and from her heir Richard) led to confrontations between Henry on the one side and his wife and legitimate sons on the other. Henry's notorious liaison with Rosamund Clifford, the "fair Rosamund" of legend, probably began in 1165, during one of his Welsh campaigns, and continued until her death in 1176. However, it was not until 1174, at around the time of his break with Eleanor, that Henry acknowledged Rosamund as his mistress. Almost simultaneously, he began negotiating to divorce Eleanor and marry Alys, daughter of King Louis VII of France and already betrothed to Henry's son, Richard. Henry's affair with Alys continued for some years, and, unlike Rosamund Clifford, Alys allegedly gave birth to one of Henry's illegitimate children.

Henry also had a number of illegitimate children by various women, and Eleanor had several of those children reared in the royal nursery with her own children; some remained members of the household in adulthood. Among them were William de Longespee, 3rd Earl of Salisbury, whose mother was Ida, Countess of Norfolk; Geoffrey, Archbishop of York, son of a woman named Ykenai; Morgan, Bishop of Durham; and Matilda, Abbess of Barking. Henry II's attempt to divide his titles amongst his sons but keep the power associated with them provoked them into trying to take control of the lands assigned to them (see Revolt of 1173-1174), which amounted to treason, at least in Henry's eyes. Gerald of Wales reports that when King Henry gave the kiss of peace to his son Richard, he said softly, "May the Lord never permit me to die until I have taken due vengeance upon you." When Henry's legitimate sons rebelled against him, they often had the help of King Louis VII of France. Henry the Young King died in 1183.

A horse trampled to death another son, Geoffrey, Duke of Brittany (1158 - 1186). Henry's third son, Richard the Lionheart (1157 - 1199), with the assistance of Philip II Augustus of France, attacked and defeated Henry on July 4, 1189; Henry died at the Chateau Chinon on July 6, 1189 and lies entombed in Fontevraud Abbey, near Chinon and Saumur in the Anjou Region of present-day France. Henry's illegitimate son Geoffrey, Archbishop of York, also stood by him the whole time and alone among his sons attended on Henry's death-bed. Richard the Lionheart then became king of England. He was followed by King John, the youngest son of Henry II, laying aside the claims of Geoffrey's children Arthur of Brittany and Eleanor. Appearance Peter of Blois left a description of Henry II in 1177: "...the lord king has been red-haired so far, except that the coming of old age and gray hair has altered that color somewhat.

His height is medium, so that neither does he appear great among the small, nor yet does he seem small among the great... curved legs, a horseman's shins, broad chest, and a boxer's arms all announce him as a man strong, agile and bold... he never sits, unless riding a horse or eating... In a single day, if necessary, he can run through four or five day-marches and, thus foiling the plots of his enemies, frequently mocks their plots with surprise sudden arrivals...Always are in his hands bow, sword, spear and arrow, unless he be in council or in books." Fiction The treasons associated with the royal and ducal successions formed the main theme of the play The Lion in Winter, which also served as the basis of a film starring Peter O'Toole and Katharine Hepburn. In 2003, a mini-series with Patrick Stewart and Glenn Close in the leading roles reprised the story and its title.

Henry II and his sons King Richard and King John also provided the subjects of the BBC2 television series The Devil's Crown and the 1978 book of the same title, written by Richard Barber and published as a guide to the broadcast series, which starred Brian Cox as Henry and Jane Lapotaire as Eleanor. Book of the Civilized Man is a poem believed to have been written in Henry's court and is the first "book of manners" or "courtesy book" in English history, representing the start of a new awakening to etiquette and decorum in English culture. Coat of arms Henry II's coat of arms were gules a lion rampant or (red background with a golden lion on hind legs).

[edit] External links The Henry Project ( Dame à la Licorne ( tapestries - secret exchanges between Henry and Eleanor through the medium of the tapestry designs from the famous Dame à la Licorne series Medieval Sourcebook: Angevin England (#Angevin%20England) King of England with Henry the Young King 1151 - 1189 with Henry the Young King 1151 - 1189 King Louis VII and Eleanor Succeeded by: Preceded by King Louis VII and Eleanor Succeeded by: Henry II of England Henry II of England Home > History > Henry II of England Related Books British Monarchs Henry II Plantagenet (March 5, 1133 - July 6, 1189), was Duke of Anjou and King of England (1154 - 1189) and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland, eastern Ireland, and western France. His soubriquets include "Curt Mantle" (because of the practical short cloaks he wore), "Fitz Empress," and sometimes "The Lion of Justice," which had been used for his grandfather Henry I.

He would be known as the first of the Angevin Kings. Following the disastrous reign of King Stephen, Henry's reign was one of efficient consolidation. Henry II is regarded as England's greatest medieval king. He was born on March 5, 1133, to the Empress Matilda and her second husband, Geoffrey the Fair, Duke of Anjou. He was brought up in Anjou and visited England in 1142 to help his mother in her disputed claim to the English throne. Prior to coming to the throne he already controlled Normandy and Anjou on the continent; his marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine added her land holdings to his, including vast areas such as Touraine, Aquitaine, and Gascony. He was thus effectively more powerful than the king of France with an empire that stretched from Solway almost to the Mediterranean and from the Somme to the Pyrenees. As king, he would make Ireland a part of his vast domain.

He also was in lively communication with the Emperor of Byzantium Manuel I Comnenus During Stephen's reign, the barons had subverted feudal legislation to undermine the monarch's grip on the realm; Henry saw it as his first task to reverse this shift in power. Castles which had been built without authorisation during Stephen's reign, for example, were torn down, and an early form of taxation replaced military service as the primary duty of vassals. Record-keeping was dramatically improved in order to streamline this taxation. Henry II established courts in various parts of the country and was the first king to grant magistrates the power to render legal decisions on a wide range of civil matters in the name of the Crown. Under his reign, the first written legal textbook was produced, proving the basis on what today is referred to as Common Law. By the Assize of Clarendon (1166), trial by jury became the norm again: Since the Norman Conquest, jury trials had been largely replaced by trial by ordeal and "wager of battel" (which was not abolished in England until 1819). This was one of Henry's major contributions to the social history of England.

As a consequence of the improvements in the legal system, the power of church courts waned. The church, not unnaturally, opposed this, and its most vehement spokesman was Thomas à Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, formerly a close friend of Henry's and his chancellor. Henry had appointed Becket to the archbishopric precisely because he wanted to avoid conflict. The conflict with Becket effectively began with a dispute over whether clergy who had committed a secular offence could be tried by the secular courts. Henry attempted to subdue Becket and his fellow churchmen by making them swear to obey the "customs of the realm", but there was controversy over what constituted these customs, and the church was reluctant to submit. Becket left England in 1164 to solicit personally the support of the Pope in Rome and the king of France, where he stayed for a time. After a reconciliation between Henry and Thomas in Normandy in 1170, he returned to England. Becket again confronted Henry, this time over the coronation of Prince Henry (see below).

The much-quoted words of Henry II echo down the centuries: "Who will rid me of this turbulent priest?" Four of his knights took their king literally (as he may have intended for them to do, although he later denied it) and travelled immediately to England, where they assassinated Becket in Canterbury Cathedral on December 29, 1170. In 1170, the fifteen-year-old son Henry was crowned king, but he never actually ruled and is not counted in the monarchs of England; he is now known as Henry the Young King to distinguish him from his nephew Henry III of England. Henry and his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, had four sons and three daughters. (Henry also had some ten children by at least four other women, and Eleanor had several of those children reared in the royal nursery with her own children, and some remained members of the household in adulthood.) His attempts to wrest control of her lands from her (and her heir Richard) led to confrontation between Henry on the one side and his wife and legitimate sons on the other.

Henry's notorious liaison with Rosamund Clifford, the "fair Rosamund" of legend, is thought to have begun in 1165, during one of his Welsh campaigns, and continued until her death in 1176. However, it was not until 1174, at around the time of his break with Eleanor, that Henry acknowledged Rosamund as his mistress. Almost simultaneously, he began negotiating to divorce Eleanor and marry Alice, daughter of King Louis VII of France, who was already betrothed to his son, Richard. His affair with her continued for some years, and, unlike Rosamund Clifford, Alice is believed to have given birth to several of his illegitimate children. Henry II's attempt to divide his titles amongst his sons but keep the power associated with them provoked them into trying to take control of the lands assigned to them, which amounted to treason, at least in Henry's eyes.

Henry was fortunate to have on his side a knight who was both loyal and unbeatable in battle: William Marshal; Henry's illegitimate son Geoffrey Plantagenet (1151-1212), Archbishop of York, also stood by him the whole time and was the only son with Henry when he died. When Henry's legitimate sons rebelled against him, they often had the help of King Louis VII of France. The death of his son, Henry the Young King in 1183, was followed by the death of the next in line to the throne, Geoffrey, Duke of Brittany who was trampled to death by a horse in 1186. His third son, Richard the Lionheart, with the assistance of Philippe II Auguste, attacked and defeated Henry on July 4, 1189; Henry died at the Chateau Chinon on July 7, 1189 and was entombed in Fontevraud Abbey, near Chinon and Saumur in the Anjou Region that today is part of France. Richard the Lionheart then became king of England.

He was followed by King John, the youngest son of Henry II, laying aside the claims of Geoffrey's son, Arthur, and daughter, Eleanor. The treasons associated with the succession were the main theme of the play The Lion in Winter, which was made into a film starring Peter O'Toole and Katherine Hepburn. Henry II and his sons King Richard and King John were also the subject of the BBC2 series The Devil's Crown and the 1978 book of the same title, written by Richard Barber and published as a guide to the tv series, which starred Brian Cox and Jane Lapotaire as Henry and Eleanor. Henry Plantagenet (1133-1189) | WikiTree: The FREE Family Tree 7 Links Henry II, King of England Henry II established the House of Plantagenet. Born to Matilda during a turbulent period, his mother was swept aside while Stephen seized the throne. It was only after he married the most powerful woman in Europe, Eleanor -- Duchess of Aquitaine and ex-consort of Louis XII -- that he was able to take the crown. A man of war, he spent his life on campaigns and stayed on the move.

At first, Eleanour shared in the monarch's administrative power and often acted as regent. But with Thomas Becket's rise to power, she was over-shadowed. Becket was not a religious man. Neither was he of noble blood. But with the king's favor, he was able to spend lavishly. Then... in a disastrous political move, Henry forced Becket into the clergy. Suddenly... Beckett became pious, and blew Henry's plan. Once the king realized that he could not control the man he made, he threw a fit the world never forgot. A few of his knights were in ear-shot. Took the king's temper tantrum at face value... and murdered Beckett in his own church. Europe went into an uproar. Henry got bad press. And voila -- the man of the cloth, who once stunned the French with gaudy displays of wealth... became canonized. They say that Beckett's memory haunted Henry for the rest of his life, but it never stopped him from enjoying power. Although he showered titles on his sons, and even named some of them King ... he refused to let them rule.

This led to a series of mutinies within his own family, and he even incarcerated the Queen for years on end. But Eleanor outlived him, and even helped her youngest son John , to ascend the throne. [1] [2] Timeline A major study of Henry's itinerary was done by Rev. Eyton. [4] Titles Henry II of England ("Curtmantle"; 5 Mar 1133 - 6 July 1189) ruled as King of England (1154-1189), [5] Count of Anjou, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. [6] [7] [8] [9] Henry II has no known coat of arms, but he probably bore a coat with two lions passant (tinctures unknown). [10] Early life Henry was born at Le Mans, Anjou on 5th March, 1133 to Geoffrey Plantagenet , Count of Anjou and Empress Matilda .

His claim to the throne was strengthened by descent from both English Saxon kings and kings of Scotland through his maternal grandmother Matilda. Her father was Malcolm III of Scotland and his mother was Margaret of Wessex (Saint Margaret of Scotland), grand-daughter of Edmund Ironside. Character and Appearance According to Alison Weir, Henry was stocky and bowl-legged, but Eleanor apparently liked the "freckled ... face and red haired" kid from Anjou. [11] She first laid eyes on him in France when she was married to Louis. At the time, Henry was about 10 years her junior and a stark contrast to her boring husband. The French king was pious, timid, wore a plain church frock, and felt guilty over sex. [12] Along with court intrigues against the Duchess, Louis' over-all demeanor certainly aided her decision to ditch him for the young and verile Henry. [12] Known to have a great memory, Henry II knew Law and Latin. Obsessed with war and administration, he didn't care for fashion. Unlike Eleanor, he wasn't refined.

[12] [12] He also had a ridiculous temper, and is remembered for rolling on the floor and chewing reeds. [12] . Marriage On 18 May 1152, at Bordeaux Cathedral, at the age of 19, Henry married Eleanor of Aquitaine. Eleanor of Aquitaine, was the daughter of William X, Duke of Aquitaine and Aenor de Chatellerault. She had previously been the wife of Louis VII, King of France, but they divorced. Legitimate Children Henry's first son, William, Count of Poitiers, died in infancy. In 1170, Henry and Eleanor's fifteen-year-old son, Henry, was crowned king (another reason for rupture with Thomas Becket, whose other bishops acquiesced to this during Becket's exile), but he never actually ruled and does not figure in the list of the monarchs of England; he became known as Henry the Young King to distinguish him from his nephew Henry III of England.

Henry II depicted in Cassell's History of England (1902)Henry and his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, had five sons and three daughters: William, Henry, Richard, Geoffrey, John, Matilda, Eleanor, and Joan. John Speed, in his 1611 work History of Great Britain, mentions the possibility that Henry and Eleanor had a son named Philip, who died young. His sources no longer exist and he alone mentions this birth.[2] Henry's attempts to wrest control of her lands from Eleanor (and from her heir Richard) led to confrontations between Henry on the one side and his wife and legitimate sons on the other. Mistresses Nesta , wife of Ralph Bloet [15] Henry had a number of illegitimate children by various women, and several were reared in the royal nursery. Some remained members of the household in adulthood. Among them were: Morgan, elected Bishop of Durham 1213, son of Nesta [15] Matilda, Abbess of Barking Around 1174, Henry began negotiating the annulment of his marriage in order to marry Alys.

[16] His affair with Alys continued for some years, but unlike Rosamund, Alys allegedly gave birth to an illegitimate child. Beckett Initially good friends, Henry's fights with Beckett were fated to cast a long shadow over Europe. [17] Beckett was extravagant. [18] But when Theobald, Archbishop of Canterbury died, Henry appointed Beckett to control the church's legal system through him. But Beckett suddenly started acting pious, and destroyed Henry's plan. A council was held at Westminster in October 1163, Beckett was not a man to compromise, neither, however, was Henry. Eventually Beckett agreed to adhere to the 'ancient customs of the realm'. To win the matter, Henry defined the customs in the Constitutions of Clarendon. Beckett backed down, but fight escalated and Beckett fled the country. Four years later, Henry was anxious to have his eldest son, young Henry, crowned to avoid a disputed succession. In January 1169, Henry and Beckett met at a conference at Momtmirail in Normandy, but they got into an argument. Beckett angrily excommunicated some of Henry's followers.

Henry retaliated by letting the Archbishop of York coronate his son. But they reached a compromise at a later meeting, and Thomas returned to England. It didn't help. The fighting continued and Henry flew into a rage over Beckett's stubborn ways, (perfect match). That's when he said those fatal words -- "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?" -- within earshot of four of his knights. They took it at face value and went to slay Beckett, standing in his cathedral. [12] Ironically, it was the moment that made the outlandish Becket. Suddenly, Europe cared about him, and England was threatened with excommunication. The King resorted to public penance, walking barefoot into Canterbury Cathedral, where he had the monks scourge him to prove it. Rebel Sons The power-hungry king was faced with a new threat from his own family. His inability to share responsibility with his sons became deeply resented. His namesake and heir -- Henry, the newly crowned but powerless Young King -- was dissatisfied. So was John 'Lack Land.' When Henry II tried to negotiate his marriage, the prospective father-in-law asked that John be given some property.

The King gave his youngest son three castles in Anjou but Young Henry didn't like it. He demanded the right to rule England, Normandy or Anjou, but wound up fleeing to the French court. The King of France had his own axe to grind and soon ... Young Henry rebelled against his father. He was joined at the court of France by his equally annoyed brothers, Richard and Geoffrey, now Duke of Brittany since his marriage to the heiress Constance of Brittany. Eleanor wasn't happy either, and was arrested trying to join her rebellious sons in France ... dressed as a man. Meanwhile, Normandy was attacked, but the King of France -- as usual -- retreated. But Henry, always the forgiving father, made peace with his sons while he conveniently, put Eleanor under house-arrest for the next ten years as he continued to womanize in public. [12] Further disputes arose between young Henry and his brother, Richard. [19] After plundering the shrine of Rocamadour, the Young Henry became ill. [20] A few days later he was dead.

Henry planned to re-divide the Angevin Empire -- giving Anjou, Maine, Normandy and England to Richard and asking him to relinquish his mother's province of Aquitaine to John. Richard refused. John and Geoffrey were dispatched to Aquitaine to take the duchy by force but lost. So the King ordered all of his sons to England. Richard and Geoffrey now thoroughly detested each other and arguments ruled the family. Geoffrey, a treacherous and untrustworthy youth, was killed at a Paris tournament in 1186. Death Phillip Augustus of France wanted more power for the French crown by retaking Plantagenet lands. So he told Richard, Henry II wanted to disown him for John. Richard, believed it and demanded full recognition as heir to the Angevin Empire. Henry refused. Rebellion was the result. Then Henry got sick at Le Mans. Richard thought he was creating delays, and attacked the town with Phillip. Henry had the southern suburbs of Le Mans set on fire to stop their advance, but the wind changed, and burned it down. Henry fled but a conference was arranged near Tours, where Richard forced him to accept all terms.

Phillip of France, however, was shocked by Henry's gaunt appearance, and offered his cloak as a seat on the ground. Henry refused. But he supposedly whispered in his son's ear, and said: "God grant that I die not until I have avenged myself on thee". Henry wanted a list of those who rebelled against him. He got the list after retreating to Chinon, only to discover John Lackland's name at the top. The son he trusted and fought for deserted him for the victors. In the end, it was faithful William Marshall and his illegitimate son Geoffrey who stood by him to the end. He told Geoff, "You are my true son ... the others, they are the bastards." As his condition continued to deteriorate he said, "now let everything go as it will, I care no longer for myself or anything else in this world". He lingered semi-conscious, breathing his last on 6th July, 1189. His last words were "Shame, shame on a conquered King". Defeated at last, he faced the wall and died. Richard I succeeded him.

Henry II body was laid in the chapel of Chinon Castle, where the corpse was stripped by servants. William Marshall and Geoffrey found a crown, sceptre and ring, probably taken from a religious statue. It was then taken to the Abbey of Fontevrault in Anjou for burial. The new King Richard I was summoned by William Marshall and gazed at his father's corpse without emotion. After lying in state the body of the great Henry II was buried, according to his wishes, at the Abbey of Fontevrault, which was to become the mausoleum of the Angevin Kings. A few quotes from historic manuscripts shed a unique light on Henry, Eleanor, and their sons. From Sir Winston Churchill Kt, 1675: "Henry II Plantagenet, the very first of that name and race, and the very greatest King that England ever knew, but withal the most unfortunate . . . his death being imputed to those only to whom himself had given life, his ungracious sons..." From Sir Richard Baker, A Chronicle of the Kings of England: Concerning endowments of mind, he was of a spirit in the highest degree generous ...

His custom was to be always in action; for which cause, if he had no real wars, he would have feigned ... To his children he was both indulgent and hard; for out of indulgence he caused his son Henry to be crowned King in his own time; and out of hardness he caused his younger sons to rebel against him ... He married Eleanor, daughter of William Duke of Guienne, late wife of Lewis the Seventh of France. Some say King Lewis carried her into the Holy Land, where she carried herself not very holily, but led a licentious life; and, which is the worst kind of licentiousness, in carnal familiarity with a Turk." Burial of King Henry (Royal Tombs of Medieval England) Henry II died at Chinon on 6 July 1189, and was buried three days later in the neighboring abbey church at Fontevrault, which had been endowed by the king and his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Henry's burial at Fontevrault was probably due to its proximity to Chinon rather than the king's instructions.

Roger of Howden records that in 1170, stricken by illness, Henry had instructed his burial in the monastery at Grandmont, near Ambazac, and on his recovery began building the abbey church. Henry's will of 1182 contains no instructions for his burial, and makes a larger bequest to Grandmont than it does to Fontevrault. Matthew Paris records that Henry's body lay in state dressed in tunic and mantle, wearing the regalia of golden crown, jeweled gloves, ring, buskins and spurs, holding a scepter and girt with sword, his face uncovered. The king's effigy monument and that of other members of his royal family were probably originally located near the abbey high altar but were installed in their present positions in the abbey nave in 1967. The effigy carvings are too low to have accommodated coffins. Sources "Royal Ancestry" 2013 by Douglas Richardson Vol. I page 24 "Royal Ancestry" 2013 by Douglas Richardson Vol. I page 129 "Royal Ancestry" 2013 by Douglas Richardson Vol.

III page 21 HENRY II (PLANTAGENET-1627) (1133-1189). Henry II ancestry project: Footnotes ↑ Carroll, L. (2010). Notorious Royal Marriages: A juicy journey through nine centuries of dynasty, destiny, and desire. NY, NY: New American Library. Print. ↑ Weir, A. (2007). Eleanor of Aquitaine: By the wrath of God, Queen of England. London, UK: Vintage Books. Print. ↑ The Kings and Queens of England ↑ Eyton, R. W. (1878), Court, household and itinerary of King Henry II. ↑ Henry was the first to use the title "King of England" (as opposed to "King of the English"). ↑ Henry became duke of Normandy in 1151. After his father died the next year, he inherited Angevin territories in France. ↑ : Henry's inheritance from his father included Anjou and Maine. Matilda gave him the Duchy of Normandy and the claim to be king of England.

But his holdings paled in comparison to Europe's most coveted duchess, Eleanor of Aquitaine. By marrying her the legendary heiress, he effectively became a powerful man, able to threaten the French. With Touraine, Aquitaine, and Gascony, he was also able to take the English throne. ↑ The nickname "Plantagnet," came about because Henry's father wore a sprig of Planta Genista in his helmet. It coined the surname of one of England's greatest dynasties that ruled the country throughout medieval times. But it didn't become a surname until the mid 15th century. ↑ : On the death of King Stephen in 1154, Henry came to the English throne at the age of 21 in accordance with the terms of the Treaty of Wallingford. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 Weir, Alison. Eleanor of Aquitaine. ↑ : Henry's affair with Rosamund Clifford, the "fair Rosamund" of legend, probably began in 1165 during a Welsh campaign.

It continued until her death in 1176. However, it was not until 1174, at around the time of his break with Eleanor, that Henry acknowledged Rosamund as his mistress. ↑ Geoffrey, was born in the early days of Henry's marriage to Eleanor. His mother, Hikenai or Ykenai, was said to be a prostitute. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Henri d'Anjou , FMG ( #MedLands ), citing Raine, J. (ed.) (1839) Historiæ Dunelmensis Scriptores Tres (London), Roberti de Graystanes Historia de statu Ecclesiæ Dunelmensis ("Raine (1839) Robert de Graystanes"), p. 35. ↑ Dau. King Louis VII of France and betrothed to Henry's son Richard. ↑ The son of a wealthy London merchant of Norman extraction, Beckett was appointed Chancellor. ↑ Sent on a mission to the court of France to negotiate marriage for Young Henry and Margaret, daughter of the French King by his second wife, his lavish style made a vivid impression on the French.

↑ The Young King objected to a castle Richard had built on what he claimed to be his territory. Henry, aided by his brother Geoffrey, attempted to subdue Richard and the affair provided a further excuse to rebel against their father. Richard allied himself with their father. The Young King began to ravage Aquitaine. ↑ Once he knew death was inevitable, he asked his followers to lay him on a bed of ashes spread on the floor as a sign of repentance and begged his father to forgive and visit him. The King, suspecting a trap, refused to visit his son, but sent a sapphire ring, once owned by his grandfather Henry I, to the young Henry as a sign of his forgiveness. Further reading Royal Tombs of Medieval England M. Duffy 2003 p.

55-57 Richard Barber, The Devil's Crown: A History of Henry II and His Sons (Conshohocken, PA, 1996) Ian Crofton, The Kings and Queens of England, Metro Books, NY, 2006, pgs 66-69 Robert Bartlett, England Under The Norman and Angevin Kings 1075-1225 (2000) J. Boussard, Le government d'Henry II Plantagênêt (Paris, 1956) John D. Hosler Henry II: A Medieval Soldier at War, 1147-1189 (History of Warfare; 44) Brill Academic Publishers, 2007 ISBN 9004157247 John Harvey, The Plantagenets Ralph Turner & Richard Heiser, The Reign of Richard Lionheart W.L. Warren, Henry II (London, 1973) Nicholas Vincent, "King Henry II and the Monks of Battle: The Battle Chronicle Unmasked," in Belief and Culture in the Middle Ages: Studies Presented to Henry Mayr-Harting. Eds.

Henry Mayr-Harting, Henrietta Leyser and Richard Gameson (Oxford, OUP, 2001), pp. Ancestral Roots; Fredrick Weis; 7th ed., 1992. Barbara Bair, 8409 Mulberry Ave., Buena Park, Ca. 90620 (1995) Daughter of Clement Elvalandingham & Gertrude Murray Marang. Mr. Henry is reported to be a direct descendant of Patrick Henry. Some English Descendants of Malcome Canmore King Of the Scots RJCW 307. Author: Gregory Lauder-Frost F.S.A. (Scot) (lauderfrost@@btinternet.com) Royalty for Commoners. Roderick W. Stuart, Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore. Links Private Messages: Contact the Profile Managers privately: Theresa Bashford , Patton McHenry , Tim Perry , Lindsay Coleman , and Albert Case . (Best when privacy is an issue.) Public Comments: Login to post. (Best for messages specifically directed to those editing this profile.

Limit 20 per day.) Public Q&A: These will appear above and in the Genealogist-to-Genealogist (G2G) Forum . (Best for anything directed to the wider genealogy community.) On 3 Jan 2017 at 12:28 GMT John Akard III wrote: There is a typo in the Bio. Elenor's Ex-husband was Louis VII not Louis XII. The link takes you to Louis VII but says Louis XII On 5 Oct 2016 at 09:46 GMT Andrew Lancaster wrote: We are including a Hugh as a son. The profile does not explain anything, but while there has been such a proposal it seems not to be widely accepted. See On 5 Oct 2016 at 09:33 GMT Andrew Lancaster wrote: I moved some of the end sections around to a more conventional order, removed Richardson Royal Ancestry's doubled up mention, and added reference to the Henry II ancestry website which is highly respected. OTOH I feel the links and bibliography could be pruned.

We can not mention every book or website about him, but should focus on ones with genealogical importance, and also I feel we should not mention specific sources that are about any specific modern families descended from Henry. I have also mentioned concerns about the wording of the MEDLANDS template on G2G over time. On 5 Oct 2015 at 20:26 GMT Sue Howard wrote: Is a link broken? I have a direct relationship to Henry but no relationship to his grandfather Henry Normandie-45 through his mother Matilda Normandie-40. On 11 Jun 2015 at 13:45 GMT Eowyn Langholf wrote: Is Rosamund Clifford a spouse or only a mistress? Do we need to unlink her as a spouse? Thanks! On 22 Nov 2014 at 17:33 GMT Doug Lockwood wrote: Henry II Plantagenet is notable.

On 1 Apr 2014 at 01:46 GMT Danielle Mc Donough wrote: Plantagenet-1636 and Plantagenet-1627 are not ready to be merged because: Hi SORRY I Am unable to merge until I get the go ahead from wiki a few profiles I merged were wrong trying to sort it .this is the best I can do till then. regards DANIELLE On 10 Nov 2013 at 16:04 GMT Karen (Kraus) Harbert wrote: These are the wrong parents. The parents listed died a few generations before this person was even born. On 27 Oct 2013 at 14:20 GMT Susan (Collins) Potts wrote: here is more on henry II of england. and for henry II of france. On 26 Oct 2011 at 00:35 GMT Aran Stubbs wrote: Henry Curtmantle is the English King, son of Matilda the Empress...

Henry II is 24 degrees from Kevin Bacon, 50 degrees from Domingo Ghirardelli, 26 degrees from Ronel Olivier, 28 degrees from Rosa Parks and 22 degrees from Queen Elizabeth II of the Commonwealth Realms on our single family tree. Login to find your connection. King Stephen | Britroyals Stephen usurps the throne from Matilda, Henry�s daughter. 1136 The Earl of Norfolk leads the first rebellion against Stephen starting civil war known as 'The Anarchy'. 1136 Owain Gwynedd of Wales defeats the English at Crug Mawr 1138 Robert, Earl of Gloucester, an illegitimate son of Henry I, deserts Stephen and pledges allegiance to Matilda. 1138 David I of Scotland invades England in support of his niece, Matilda, but is defeated at Northallerton. 1139 Matilda leaves France and lands in England. 1141 Matilda�s forces take Stephen prisoner at the Battle of Lincoln, and Matilda is proclaimed queen. 1141 Earl Robert is captured and exchanged for Stephen�s freedom. 1145 Stephen defeats Matilda�s forces at the Battle of Faringdon.

1148 Matilda abandons her cause and leaves England. 1147 Matilda's son Henry Plantagenet (later Henry II) invades England but runs out of money. Stephen pays for Henry's return to Normandy 1151 Matilda's husband Geoffrey of Anjou dies and their son, Henry Plantagenet, succeeds his father as Count of Anjou. 1153 Henry lands in England again, and gathers support for further war against Stephen. 1153 Henry and Stephen agree terms for ending the civil war. Under the terms of the Treaty of Westminster, Stephen is to remain King for life, but thereafter the throne passes to Henry. 1154

Question: Which monarch (1135-1141) preceded Henry II?
Answer: Stephen